Chapter 2: Legacy of a Vision

  The mess hall was a cathedral of steel and silence. Stainless steel walls reflected dim overhead lights as steam hissed from nutrient rehydrators and protein blocks simmered in synthetic broth. The five cadets sat around a table at the far end—exhausted, bruised, but undeniably buzzing.

  “I still can’t believe we saw Horizon One today,” Talia said, poking at her lunch with a fork. “It’s like—like standing in front of a time machine. That thing’s going to be history.”

  Devon leaned back in his seat, arms crossed. “That thing is history. It’s the direct result of a dream that started before any of us were even old enough to drive.”

  “You mean Musk?” Kai asked, mouth full.

  Arjun nodded, his fingers still tapping equations into his tablet. “Elon Musk’s Interplanetary Transport System—2022 was the first serious cargo test, and now we’re here. The Artemis Program is the continuation. Privately funded, globally supported.”

  “NASA, SpaceX, ISRO, and JAXA all under one roof,” Amara added quietly, her fingers sketching the skeletal frame of Horizon One onto a napkin. “He didn’t live to see the launch... but this is still his plan.”

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  They all went quiet for a moment, letting the weight of it settle in. A decade ago, Elon Musk’s dream of colonizing Mars was considered a billionaire’s fantasy—something between science fiction and PR stunt. But he’d poured his fortune, mind, and name into it. After his death in 2026, the world picked up where he left off. The Artemis Program was born from the ashes of that ambition, now more streamlined, militarized, and globally collaborative.

  And this group—Epsilon Squad—was one of three multinational crews training to be first-generation settlers on the Red Planet.

  “We're not just astronauts,” Devon finally said, pushing his tray away. “We’re Musk’s legacy.”

  Kai gave a low whistle. “No pressure, huh?”

  The group laughed, but it was nervous. The stakes were bigger than any of them had imagined when they signed on.

  Later that evening, they stood under the desert sky, stars scattered like spilled salt across velvet black. The air was cold, the kind of cold that sunk into your chest and made you feel very, very small.

  Arjun pointed up. “Mars should be visible in a few hours. It’s in opposition.”

  “Already watching us,” Talia whispered.

  Amara traced the outline of the constellations above. “You think it knows we’re coming?”

  “Let’s just hope it’s ready,” Kai said, grinning. But there was a twitch in his jaw that didn’t match the smile.

  Behind them, Colonel Harding approached, arms folded behind his back. “You’ll begin Phase Two tomorrow. Simulated low-gravity survival. 72-hour isolation. Environmental stress testing.”

  Devon gave a crisp nod. “Yes, sir.”

  “One more thing,” Harding added. “Elon Musk once said that making life multiplanetary was insurance for the species. But you—” He pointed at each of them, “—are more than insurance. You are the ignition key.”

  As he walked away, his cybernetic leg clinking into the dark, the five cadets stood in silence.

  Overhead, the faint red pinprick of Mars emerged on the horizon.